Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017: S-WR's Lee fourth at Foot Locker Nationals

   Leading off today: Shoreham-Wading River senior Katherine Lee finished fourth at the Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals on Saturday in San Diego, covering the five-kilometer course in 17:38.3 at Balboa Park.

   It was the highest placing by a New York girl since Laura Leff of West Genesee placed third in 2011. The Georgetown recruit placed 10th at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., to cap the 2016 season.

   "I just tried to go in with a positive attitude and run the best I could, and it worked out pretty
well," Lee said. "I kind of conserved a little bit (of energy) in the middle, so at the end I still had a good amount for my kick, which was really nice."

   The girls winner was junior Claudia Lane of Malibu, Calif., who became the ninth two-time champion. The winning time was 17:03.4.

   The boys winner was Orland Park., Ill., senior Dyland Jacobs in 15:19.7. Seniors Nathan Lawler (16:15.2) of Pittsford Mendon and Mason Gatewood (16:37.9) of St. Anthony's were 28th and 36th, respectively.

   Milestone: Cornwall wrestling coach Don Blaine registered his 500th career victory in 35 seasons during the Cornwall Duals.

   "I like to think the success of the program has been a culmination of 35 years where kids know what they're expected to do as part of the Cornwall wrestling team," Blaine said. "There's an expectation of taking the sport seriously and, as a result, an expectation that they're supposed to perform a certain way. When you combine those things, it's a recipe for success."

   Blaine, a 1974 graduate of the school, has coached 27 Section 9 champions and 31 state tournament qualifiers. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014.

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   Alumni news: To the surprise of no one, recent Rush-Henrietta graduate Sammy Watson is off to a blazing start in the college ranks.

   In her debut race for the Aggies, the freshman broke the Texas A&M school record in the women's 1,000 meters at the Reveille Invitational. Watson's time of 2:42.12 already ranks No. 7 on the all-time collegiate indoor list. That shouldn't shock since her PR in the event, a 2:40.72 from March of last year, is better than the current collegiate record of 2:40.79 set by Oklahoma State's Kaela Edwards in 2017.

   "I'm very happy, but not complacent where I'm at right now," she said. "We've been training hard all fall, so I know the hard work is paying off from my results today. Knowing that I didn't get down to this time until last March, and it's only December, it shows that I'm a lot stronger than I was last year and I'm capable of so much more this season."

   Aggies junior Jazmine Fray, who set the school record of 2:43.15 a year ago, finished second to Watson in 2:45.81.

   They lost how many??? After losing 312 consecutive games, the Carroll Academy girls basketball team won for the first time last weekend, edging Immaculate Conception 29-27 in double overtime.

   The Tennessee school, which has six girls on its roster, started playing girls basketball in 2005. With a school enrollment of 44, every high school girl plays on the basketball team.

   Kaitlyn Evans finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds to lead the way for the Lady Jags. Her 3-pointer tied the game at 22 to send it to overtime.

   Randy Hatch has been head coach or an assistant for all 312 losses.

   "They want to win, but they want to play," Hatch said. "They find just as much fun in competing as the scoreboard. Whatever the scoreboard says, it says. They just know they are going to get to play again. The last game of the season is what gets them."

   New Jersey changes: New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association schools voted 218-79 last week to allow a 10th regular-season game, which may lead to the revision of the current football playoff format.

   Proposed playoff changes will go before the NJSIAA's Executive Committee next spring. The new plan extends the postseason beyond sectional championships but stops short of playing to a true state champion.